The Patriots are in the midst of their head coach search this week, lining up interviews with several candidates like current Vikings offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
The expectation is that one of them will succeed Jerod Mayo, as they have become the primary focus in the days since he was fired, but the latest update from the NFL throws a wrinkle into Robert Kraft's potential plans.
The carousel of head coach firings is continuing, with the Raiders announcing they had let Antonio Pierce go after just one season. They become the sixth team joining the interviewing process and a real threat to the Patriots' pursuit of Mike Vrabel.
Considering he has been the favorite to land the role in New England since last year, the Las Vegas opening is not the best news for Kraft to hear for a few reasons, one of which is the addition of Tom Brady as a partial owner of the Raiders.
Tom Brady's partial ownership of the Raiders could sway Mike Vrabel to the AFC West
Because of his relationship with the former quarterback, speculation immediately began regarding Vrabel's likely interest in the newly announced Raiders vacancy.
He was rumored to be at the top of the list last year before Pierce was named the head coach, which NFL insider Albert Breer detailed again on Tuesday, and that's only going to heat up now that the job is open yet again.
Last year, Tom Brady’s presence at the final practice of the Raiders season led some in the organization to believe Mike Vrabel was on his way. It didn’t happen, but the Brady/Seymour/Vrabel connection is one that’s lingered there.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 7, 2025
Vrabel could get plenty of control in Vegas. https://t.co/Bv2DiRBv2X
If Kraft is dead set on Vrabel, this is the worst-case scenario because now the Raiders and Brady are bound to compete for the former Titans coach. To make it even worse, Breer mentions that Vrabel would likely get a lot of control in Las Vegas, which might not be the case in New England, given how much more involved the Krafts have become over the last few years.
It could ultimately become a determining factor in where Vrabel decides to go.